


Distracting Captain America

by amonkeysue



Series: Trouble in Three [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, other Avengers only briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 20:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3622737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amonkeysue/pseuds/amonkeysue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam <i>did</i> promise Darcy that he would get Steve outside Avengers Tower for the day.</p>
<p>He really should have guessed by now that something would have to happen on the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Distracting Captain America

As a little kid, Sam never would have imagined he’d be able to say the least eventful part of his day was getting coffee with Captain America.

He had held to his word and gotten Steve out of Avengers Tower for the afternoon. They traveled closer to his neighborhood to avoid any journalists with Avengers beats who would be more than happy to corner Steve in one of the coffee shops closest to the Tower.

Going to Central Park had been Steve’s idea, the initial idea being that he could sketch without drawing too much attention to himself by keeping his jacket and shades on and jumping from area to area.

Maybe it was the shoulder to waist ratio that clued in several passerby to his identity, or maybe it was some intuitive American sense. Sam would never know.

Steve held a couple babies and posed for a few pictures with assorted family members after the first tentative mom walked up to ask, “Sorry to disturb you, but are you Captain America?”

“Hey,” Sam murmured while maintaining a bright smile for the kids as he leaned closer to Steve, “I see more coming. If we want to get out of here anytime soon and not invite SHIELD to drop by, we need to move.”

“I know,” Steve whispered with the same smile, “But I’m trying to figure the best way out.”

“I’ve gotcha.” Sam stepped aside of the group and called Steve’s cell before stepping behind a tree.

Not the most covert of operations, but it would have to do. Maybe he would ask Natasha and Clint for a rundown in their avoiding crowds techniques, or if they just had any tips for freeing Steve from the interest of families who wanted to get a picture of the kids with Captain America for the scrapbook and social media pages.

Conveniently, Tony had yet again gotten to Steve’s phone and changed the ringtone to “The Star-Spangled Man.” 

“Do you have to help the Avengers?” a little girl excitedly asked at the sound of the phone, willfully ignoring her mother’s attempts to shush her or stop her jumping.

Steve laughed and winked. “I’m sure, and it means I’ve got to go.”

“Bye Captain America! I hope you beat up the bad guys! Don’t forget your shield!” she called out as he turned and walked away.

He waved over his shoulder before answering the call. “Sam?”

“Yup. Which way do you want to go?”

“Where are you?”

“Behind a tree.”

“That’s not exactly helpful directions in Central Park, I hope you realize.”

“Yeah yeah. I’m coming up on your left.” Sam’s grin at the chance to use the phrase on Steve was practically audible.

With a chuckle Steve looked over to see Sam walking over to him. “You’re smooth.”

“I try to be.” He hung up the call. “Your lead, Cap.”

Despite their initial worry, escaping the park was very easy. Even working back to Avengers Tower, the Instagram pictures of him in the park weren’t causing an onslaught of Cap fans to come after Steve. 

Darcy had sent Sam a text containing only a smiley emoji right as JARVIS greeted them.

He considered it safe to let Steve go about as he would after that.

While helping Bruce and Jane with the night’s dinner plans, he hadn’t heard anything about Steve stumbling across his newly decorated room, and he didn’t want to drop any questioning lines. If he couldn’t get caught up in being proved to be involved beyond coincidentally helping to get Steve out of the tower, all the better.

No more repeats of the glitter incident and Sam was one happier camper.

Everyone slowly trickled in for dinner, Steve being the last to come.

Darcy and Bucky maintained perfect poker faces over their lasagna, aside from her occasional furtive glances over to Steve. He was munching through his salad and keeping up a slew of small talk with Thor.

Jane raised a brow at Darcy, who subtly shrugged.

Clint leaned over to whisper something in Natasha’s ear.

Steve lifted his roll and paused before setting it back down. “So,” he calmly asked, “anyone want to take responsibility for layering my room in ‘Murica fashion?”

Tony snorted. “Let freedom ring.”

“I know Sam got me out of the Tower.”

“Hey, no.” Sam pointed his fork at Steve. “No accusations of association. Coincidences can happen, and I tried to get you back in a relatively timely manner, families aside.”

“Fair enough,” Steve consented before meaningfully looking around the table. No one was cracking. He bemusedly shrugged. “Props to whoever did it.”

“Thanks,” Darcy and Bucky said in harmony.

“Tony financed us, so he shouldn’t pretend to be uninvolved.”

“Thanks Darcy.”

“Just didn’t want you to feel left out on the credit.”

“I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

Darcy tilted her head in acknowledgement. “Yeah, I have a feeling you guys would struggle. How did any of you get by before I came along?”

Clint chuckled. “It’s a mystery to all of us.”

“I’m going to think up something creative to get you back,” Steve interjected.

Bucky nodded. “I’m looking forward to it, punk,” he teased with a grin.

“Is it too late to request to be left out of it?”

“Sorry Tony. I’m already thinking.”

“Uh oh. Hey Pep, are you interested in taking a sudden vacation? Hawaii? France?”

She reached over for his hand. “You got yourself into this.”

\--

Happy to see dinner blow over without dragging Sam down into any revenge pranks, he had opted in for some more Star Trek in the lounge. If the others wanted to take date nights or adventure nights, hey, more popcorn for him.

He glanced back as the elevator dinged open.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Darcy happily proclaimed. She had a large Pyrex storage container in hand and stepped around the couch to set it down on the coffee table in front of Sam. “One batch of Momma Lewis’ classic monster cookies right there. Try not to eat too many at once.”

He appreciatively whistled. “Oh yeah. Thanks a bunch.”

“I’ll want the container back though. It was the only thing big enough I had on hand, short of piling them up in a mixing bowl.” She paused as if deep in thought trying to remember something before snapping her fingers. “Oh, and I should probably mention that you still owe me for not mentioning your assistance to Steve. I will make a future request of you, otherwise we’ll make sure that Steve mixes you up in this revenge prank he’s cooking up.”

Sam feigned hurt. “That’s evil.”

“It’s the name of the prank game.”

“Aren’t you and Bucky going out at all?”

“You’re not doing so well at this whole distraction business.”

“So long as I have to right to deny the favor asked and postpone the delivery, I’m fine.”

Darcy shrugged. “Okay, I can work with that.”

“Now go do something with your boyfriend. I insist.”

She grinned. “Don’t mind if I do.”


End file.
